New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-24
MOMMSEN's ROME.
CONTINUATION OF A GREAr.woRK,

sor Of Divinity IN Ine sa1 se8 CSarss scrbneTs
The resumption BY Professor Mommsen OF his
srsat work on tho history OF Rome was literary
event Of high Importance, and the appearance Two
wears ego Of the volumes now TRANSLATOR W VIC
ssme hand which turned into English 'he previous
four was regarded by scholars Win the aeopess
forest. Considering how long time 10 10, nao ~.
A.. t..& Dr dickson might have produced more
sl.rant and fluent rendering. and might have done
Ittls moro to help along the sluggish reader VINO
1. retarded not 90 much by obscurites and severity
az sty,e az by tho extraordinary compactness ana
rr,e ,son of the historians array OF facts. with
sslfdonial this book has been written" says FRO
fessor Mommsen; @and with self-deniai iet ~ %
rsadn If the translator has reliaiously ao,taineu
from robbing MS Of any opportunity 10 exercise sn
yfytuo. he IL however, generally clear ano mo Wv
lssIons of the English idiom are not oiten
The 6 History Of the Provinces OF VIC No"o
Eyup,re does not connect directly WIN rroi0'ooi
womusen's history of the Republic between 'no
to vorks. a volume yet to be written should de
-. ,ha establishment of the empire. the organiza
a. ~ the imperial rule and the changes In the
r,.titut,on of tho state resulting from the perso
AL character of suce essive emperors. BLU Oh tpiS
cart At the subject we have already, accordingto
sur antbor. pretty full accounts; while OF tno
.vsrts tn which he now applies himselr tnero 10
mn comprehensive survey anywhere accessioi0 s'o
che general public And vet these events wero "
IA, the most momentous Of the age 70 "hlch .nos
n,,ong The vital development Of Rome had shiiteu
from the centre to the circumstance the s.a'o "@
IKE a mighty tree, the main stem OF WHICH, III W"
oourse of its decay. Is surrounded oy vigorous y.
ahoots pushing their way upwards lho ann""0''
and biographers of the emperors' from "no", '"
have had TO draw most of our knowledge OF tposo
..,,,r,s. vrote histories of the court; the rear
h,.,orv of Rome il to be traced in the extension OF
y,,,r.,reek civilization over the known worio'
M the Gradual bringing of tho barbariaus WITHIN
ths circle of order prosperity and materiai anu 'n
xslloctual progress. 1t Is In the agrioui'ur"i
towns of Africa, in the homes OF the Vlhc-uros'ei'
n, the Mo,ele In the aourishiDg townships OF inc
1xcian mountains, and on the margin OIL the syrian
Sssert that the work Of the imperial perloo Is
~ sought and to be found" Professor rroenis"
s.y1s Mommssn an ncumenical Jingc, VINO cei0-
h,tes brute force wherever he sees IT. But wne'ner
Chs criticism Is just OF not IN general tnere Gan 20
mo aoubt that the significance Of tho history OF inc
p.,,.r Emn;re lies inst where the great German
holar nIaces IT, Ut in the palaces Of Rome and Con-
.s,nt;nou,e. but IN the expansion OF Roman law
,.ncrage and sentiment over the barbarian IRON
49,. This alone made Rome what Professor free
ma, !, m fond of reminding us that IL was tne
.~ntral fact of history. Tat we can az last con
struct something like true narrative Oh '.'' piV
csas overlooked or misrepresented IN All 'no VI"
.sanda-d ~riters Is due to the extraordinary mass
os material, collected under new methods OF sc'eh
ti6c research by modern scholars OF whom rroieSsoi
Hnmusen himself is the most illustrlous anu proo
.blv the most ardent They have looked for inc cur
ssst;on and completion of former accounts to In
ss.;n,;on. monuments. coins, and other archaeology
cal aims and it is astonishing how often the dis
ooverv of some slight object sufces to dispe long
srs;r If errors and explain time-honored puzzles
Mommsen's criticisms upon the ancient historians
u,ou Tactus among Others-are extremely vigpr-
ora He finds difficulty in controlling his lndig-
nation at the telling OF what deserved 10 10 sup
rr.ssed and at the suppression OF what there was
n,ed 70 tell" For this epoch, In which the worid
WAS we'll and firmly governed for very long
nsrod. was an epoch of great conceptions ana lar
reaching actions vet our Surviving DOCKS 'n0"
hardly the glimmer of an idea OF them
Professor Mommsen divides his subject by local
,, treating each group of provinces in full before
.o,no On 70 the next; and although something ID
,.oossariv sacrificed by this disregard OF the ohro
,.,or;cal seouence of events. IL Is clear that no
otber arrangement would have suited 30 "el the
aominapt thought Of his work Beginning Win a
.hapter ON The Northern Frontier OF Italy" nc
,ixe. an admirable description OF the imperia
,olicv of defending the Roman state against the
harbarians by the conquest OF belt OF out'yins
,,r,vtnce, bet reen the lower Rhine and the lower
6a,ube. and he explains why 1t was that after the
oefeat of Vsrus the defensive line was permanently
v.bdravn from the Elbe to the longer ana IL
many respects less advantageous frontier OF th'
ph;ne The loss of the legions would hardIy &c
count for this defntive retreat; bnt IL may % OK
plained BIZ the fact that garrisons on inc hhin
xo,ld serve the double purpose OF checking inVa
sion from the north and Overawing Gaul' WINE
the burdened empire was unable TO pear tne auu'
<,opal cost of defending both rivers rur'he
particulars Of the movement toward lroh'iol %
n.,.,on are given under the head OF Roman GEL
- ona .he Free Germans" I" The Danubal
I.rd. and the Wars on the Danube" and In re
uarkable chapter on The Euphrates Frontier an
&ha partbiansr in which the intrcate story OF th
var, with Persia is told with mastery OF deta
and mower Of generalization beyond the reach
.lmast any other historian. 1t is In such stnuie
that Mommsen best illustrates the rare comolna
ton of faculties which enables him both TO e1cei
minute research and to use his discoveries VIII
the tact and effect OF an artist
The con dillon and organization OF tne proSiho'
ara dsscribed In separate chapters on Spain, eau
Britain, Greek Europe, Asia Minor oyiia' 'uIo'
vevot and Africa. In these divisions the autho
~ an onnortunity for drawing life-ke pictures {
the mast in manner which he tells us that "
,,nst not expect to find In his severe volumes. Ii
modesty Is somewhat excessivei for although
.,yle In always sober and his taste for the pictu
.saue restrained, be often puts brightness an
yIvacity into few concise phrases, and always
shows that plastic facility Of moulding masses
knowledge into IN pressive form which constitute
one Of the most valuable qualifications OF gre'
historian. Tho chapter on Britain Is rather shOi
and some have complained that 1t is meagre. W
are struck, however by Professor Mommsens cie
statement of the reasons which made the cohque
Of the island important though In military SOU
IT,. not n menace to Rome. and IL could az
,.thnS 70 the Roman treasury Britain was Il
cnotro and s,ron gnold of Druidlsm. and until ith
vasovercome the paci6cation Of Gaul was 'mpo
LII. Cau,mnnir alton across tho channel was y